


Wade in the Water

by Senof



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: I swear to god please don't, M/M, Please don't read this if you're not up to episode 98, SPOILERS OMG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:33:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23073253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senof/pseuds/Senof
Summary: SPOILERS !!Aight so.This is basically 2 scenes on a boat between Caleb, Fjord, and his untimely death, I just wanted to write a lil' bit of a before and after and also during the rez ritual, because I'm a sucker for that angstAlso uh. English is not my first language, I'm way more used to another one but I wanted to try this.
Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	Wade in the Water

**Author's Note:**

> I have the worst case of bad memory so there might be some things I don't remember that make this non canon related.
> 
> (Also yes, he used a lvl 14 feature as a lvl 11, Idgaf, this is a fic.)

_Wade in the Water_

" When we go down

For all the sacred selfless days

Only left with heartache

I want to see you again

I love you.

But what are we going to do ?"  
  
\- Every Planet We Reach Is Dead, Gorillaz

Rain and smoke, a fire too strong to be quenched and screams echoing down his ears, into his brain, etched onto each little wrinkle. Screams from a burning home, screams from his mouth, from his eyes, from every cell of his body.  
  
  


Caleb wakes up, his shirt sticking to his skin, screaming in unison, his iris, usually so blue, has been overtaken by pure black as panic has overtaken him.  
  
The scream slowly fades out into a whimper and, after a long, too long time, stops. He's on a boat, probably woke up everyone around him but he dares not open his eyes. Too much to see, especially pity.  
  
  
« You okay, Caleb ? Want me to get Caduceus ? »  
  
And on the end of his bed, sitting as if he has always been there, is Fjord. His tusks poking out of his mouth shapes it into a small, perpetual smile, maybe too faint or imagined. The half -orc 's hand is near his leg but he dares not touch it. He knows. They all know. Gods, how could he have been so stupid as to

  
«  Alright. I'll take that answer for a no, I'll stay there until you open your eyes, though. So go back to sleep if you want to. »  
  
If only it was that simple. But Fjord's presence is... weirdly soothing. Ever since his recent conversion to Melora, he seems calmer, more sure of himself, and more willing to be there for his crew.  
  
«  _Nein_ . I'll be okay, go back to sleep, Fjord. »

« I think I'm fine right there, thank you very much. I've slept enough anyway. »

« Look, just... »

He opened his eyes to further argue, expecting to see pity, or shame, even sadness would be expected.  
He found none of that. Fjord's smile was so magnetic, you could not help but feel better as he flashed his best tusky grin. As Caleb was trying to understand so many conflicting feelings in his heart, Fjord said  
  
« Caleb, can I touch you ? »  
  
Now, had it been Jester, she probably would have giggled a little while, grinned from ear to ear and answered coyly, but a single sound escaped Caleb's mouth, too fast for him to catch it, but slow enough to immediately shy from it.  
  
«  _Ja._ »  
  
And as Fjord scoots up a little higher on the bed and takes his hand, Caleb feels. So much.  
  
« We're there for you, Caleb. All of us. I'm there for you. Now go to sleep before I make you. We need you up and about tomorrow, a storm's a brewin, Navigator. »  
  
  
  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Gods, no. For once in his life, Caleb had a dreamless sleep. But now, the sound of a bell, thunder, lightning, enemies on board, barnacles, the salty smell of the sea and the metallic smell of blood.  
  
  
  
In about thirty seconds all hell had broken loose, Fjord was down and so was Orly, and just as fast as it had started, it ended. And on the boat was left only cries, blood and thunder.  
  
  
«Gods, please. You can't just leave us here like this. Jester, Caduceus, do something. Anything, have we got any diamonds around here ? »

« I have, but I don't know if it'll work, when was he downed ? Who attacked us ? Why ? »

« Jes, we don't have time for this. »

And Beau was right, every second that passed the less chance the spell had of taking effect, who the hell thought they'd just get attacked in the middle of this gods forsaken sea.  
  
« Alright. Here goes nothing. »

As Jester procured a diamond from her pouch, praying to The Traveller and hoping for some help from Melora, the diamond began to shine. And shine brighter, brighter than the fire around Caleb, brighter than the lightning. Brighter than the fire inside of Caleb.  
  
« He's stabilised but I'm gonna need help, Caduceus, what can we do ? »  
  
But Caleb was faster than them.  
  
« I've got an idea but I'll need both of you. »

All he needed was a small pebble.  
Infused with his magic for a very, very long time.  
  
« I'm not powerful enough yet to do this alone, I'll need all of you to help me on this one. »  
  
And as Beau cradled Fjord's head in her hands, Cad and Jester each taking one hand, Yasha sheltering all of them from the rain with her newfound feathered wings, Veth and Caleb were taking care of the Stone, loading even more magic into it.  
  
« Take it » he thought. « Take all of it. I don't care if I can't use it anymore, I can't lose this family, I can't lose him. »  


The second the stone approached Fjord's chest, it began to spin. Faster and faster, creating flares from nothing, and as it spun it began to go lower, and lower, spinning so fast it seemed to not even move.  


The stone was almost too much for him. The fire it was now exuding wasn't hot, not to him, not to his family. Each spin, the stone took a different colour . Seemingly taking it from the surroundings, with every other color fading.

A bubbly, charming, and deep, so deep you could lose yourself in it, blue. 

A black so strong nothing seemed to change even if you were to look at it from another angle.  
An evasive green, tinted with little flakes of blue, rebellious and angry but more as a wall than anything else.  
An almost welcoming yellow, mercurial, muddled but proud.

An array of white and pink, slowly blending into one another, but without losing shape.  
And an orange so fiery you could almost mistake it for actual fire.  
  
The stone was spinning so fast each of these colours began to fade into a rainbow of sorts. And as it lowered itself into Fjord's wound, it closed them on its way, with fire exiting on its way, from his eyes, mouth and ears.  
  
« Live,  _Freund._ You are so much more than what it says you are. It is nothing compared to the bond we share. Live. And show it why it shouldn't have angered us. »

And as the magic faded, the colours began to reappear in the world.  
  
No breathing. From anyone.  
No sound.

And then a gasp.  
A violent coughing fit, salt water coming out of Fjord's mouth. Drowned but not dead. He's not dead.  _Gut. Sehr Gut._   
He's not dead. You did good. You managed it. You  -  
  
« Well fuck. What did I tell you, Caleb ? You are the spark. And we needed you tonight.  _I_ needed you tonight. »

«  Do this again and I  _will_ let you die. But not before taking an almost immortal snea snake down with you »  
  
« Sure, now. Just. Let me rest, I need a nap. »  
  



End file.
